Masterbatches Available IN Various Forms And Types

Masterbatches are usually the concentrated mixtures of well dispersed pigments and/or dyes and/or additives that are encapsulated into a suitable carrier through a specific heating process. Available in solid as well as in liquid form, masterbatches are widely used for the purpose of colouring plastics and also for imparting other properties to them.

These are an ideal alternative to buying and using a fully compounded material ( which is generally more expensive and also provides lesser leeway to achiever colour variability of the product) and also better than the option of compounding from raw materials on site.

Master batches have wide applications in various industries, with a notable one being their usage in coloration and functional property improvement of polyester in the textile industry.

These are available in various forms and types, some examples are additive masterbatches, anti-block masterbatches, antistatic masterbatches, PVC masterbatches, white masterbatches etc. Depending on the application, the masterbatches are sometimes used individually or sometimes in combination.

Properties Imparted By Masterbatches

These are majorly used to modify inherent properties of a plastic, in the process, imparting properties such as,

• Anti-Fouling
• Flame Retardant
• Anti-Static
• Anti-Microbial
• Anti Oxidant
• UV rays Resistant
• Corrosion Inhibiting

 Attributes Of Masterbatches

• These have a dilute nature as compared to raw additives, this ensures high accuracy in the process of dosing small amounts of high priced components
• Solid masterbatches have a compact nature, thus preventing problems with dust common for all fine grained solid additives
• These are very simple to handle and use
• Masterbatches are environment friendly and also aid in energy conservation, as a result reducing the carbon foot print
• Apart from some exceptions such as rotational molding and plastisol, these are fit to be used in a majority of processes

Techniques Used For Adding Masterbatches

• Through volumetric feeder – In this method, the masterbatches are added at the hopper/ throat of injection molding machine and extruder
• Through gravimetric feeder - The process is the same as with volumetric feeders
• Side stream injection – In this process, the masterbatches are melted at an extruder and afterwards injected by a melt pump to the main stream